The Shema in John’s Gospel

by Lori A. Baron

Book cover: The Shema in John’s Gospel

Extent: 274 pages

Publisher: Mohr Siebeck

Subjects: Ancient Near East, Biblical Studies, Jewish Studies

Series: Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2.Reihe

Series volume number: 574

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(September 2022)

ISBN: 9783161548154

9.09 x 6.06 inches

Price: $112.00

In stock

John’s Gospel uses the Shema (Deut 6:4-5) to portray Jesus’ unity with God. Lori A. Baron shows that against accusations that Jesus has made himself equal to God, John’s Gospel argues that Jesus is within the divine unity. The unity of Jesus’ followers with God and with one another signals that they represent the promised restoration of Israel.


The Shema (Deut 6:4-5) is the lens through which Lori A. Baron explores Johannine Christology and the fraught relationship between John’s Gospel and Judaism. She begins by examining the use of the Shema in the Hebrew Bible and Second Temple literature, where it is frequently evoked in scenes of covenant renewal; to support adherence to Jewish law; and in prophetic oracles of restoration. The Shema functions similarly in John’s Gospel, where Jesus’ unity with God is expressed in terms of the “oneness” of the Shema (e.g., 10:30; 17:21-23): Jesus is within the divine unity. While the Synoptic Gospels cite the Shema explicitly and while Paul uses the Shema Christologically, in John, the Shema is an apologetic foil against accusations of bitheism; it is used polemically against Jesus’ opponents; and it signals that followers of Jesus represent the promised restoration of Israel.

  • By (author) Lori A. Baron